Tomato Onion Salad Recipe (Vegan)

Our vegan tomato onion salad is crispy, crunchy, and delicious. You can prepare it quickly and easily using fresh and local summer produce. Find our recipe here.

You will love this simple recipe for a delicious and nutritious tomato onion salad. You can use cherry or vine tomatoes and are free to add any or all of your available onion varieties. How and where your major ingredients are produced and sold will be the ultimate deciding factor for how sustainable and mouth-watering your masterpiece turns out. So, here are a few snippets of information about our faithful favorites — tomatoes and onions.

Tomatoes: The Facts

China is the largest producer of tomatoes globally but the U.S. comes in at a close second. Fresh market tomatoes are harvested in every state, with Florida and California producing over two-thirds of total American supply. Buying homegrown produce shouldn’t be difficult and will impact the environment less than imported tomatoes from other major global exporters — like India and Europe.

Finding seasonal, naturally grown tomatoes at your local farmers market is the best way to benefit your plate and planet. The heating of greenhouses to grow out-of-season tomatoes in the U.S. produces a considerable level of greenhouse gas emissions — while growing fresh-market tomatoes under natural, unheated conditions does not result in harmful environmental impacts.

Walk to the market, reuse old bags or nets to eliminate packing and you are sustaining your appetite without leaving any trace of a carbon footprint. Or better again, grow tomatoes in pots on your balcony.

Onions: The Facts

A domestic supply of yellow, red, and white onions is also available all year-round in the U.S. meaning you shouldn’t need to buy imported produce when it comes to your onions either. The National Onion Association (NOA) in the U.S. provides a comprehensive list of onion categories based on seasonal harvest, so you can check when your favorites will be abundant at your local market.

Members of the NOA are committed to sustainable practices — like zero waste and keeping soils healthy. As part of their zero waste campaign, every inch of the crop is used in items like organic cattle and sheep feed. Shopping from suppliers like this will support sustainability and best farming practices.

Tomato Onion Salad Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 8-10 cherry tomatoes or 3 regular tomatoes 
• ½ large white/red onion 
• 1 clove finely chopped garlic, optional 
• ½ cup of chopped parsley or coriander — feel free to toss in your favorite herbs
• ¼ cup olive oil — coconut or almond oil are also suitable
• 2 tbsp homemade apple cider vinegar
• A pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

Instructions: 

1. Slice the tomatoes to your desired size.
2. Finely chop the onion, garlic and parsley — or you can go for larger onion ring slices if you wish.
3. Pour the olive oil and apple cider vinegar into a sealable jar and shake well.
4. Transfer your vegetables to a plate and drizzle your vinegar dressing.
5. Dust with salt and pepper.
6. Enjoy!

Enjoying Tomato Onion Salad

Your tomato onion salad makes a tasty meal on a bed of your favorite fresh leaves — like spinach or kale. It you want satiety, the dish can be easily bulked up with a slice of spelt bread. Try it with a gluten-free, yeast-free bread for an added nutty infusion. 

If you want to branch out, you could always blend your tomato onion salad with other plant mixtures. Add a fruit infusion by mixing with avocado mango salad or boost the protein content by blending it with a vegan chickpea salad.

Tomato onion salad can be the perfect side dish to complement vegan pizzoccheri, vegan carbonara and other pasta dishes. Learn about freezing pasta salad to make sure you minimize any food wastage.

Read more: 

• Tomato Puree Substitute: 7 Best Alternatives for Any Recipe
• Going Vegan: 5 Simple Steps Towards a Vegan Diet
• Homemade Pesto: Healthy, Easy-to-Make Recipe in Just 5 Steps

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Tags: Dinner Guide Lunch Recipes Vegan